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KEEPING THE FAITH

The grace that is given when a man humbles himself and begs for undeserved forgiveness for the awful things he/she actually did to others. Anyone who has done this can tell you it costs!!
Suppose a man does this. What keeps him humble in the future? What stops him from reverting back to what he was?
 
That's why we have scripture. Granted, the finite cannot understand the infinite, but scripture gives us some glimpse of truth as opposed to the uninformed thoughts of depraved creatures who cast God into human patterns.
Yes. I agree that God gives us SOME GLIMPSE.
But none of us can see things by God's way, through His way of thinking.
His thoughts are not out thoughts.
Get behind me satan, you are thinking as a man.
And more...
 
Suppose a man does this. What keeps him humble in the future?
Walking with and obeying Jesus. I never forgot how our youth minister (I was 16) told us that God made him pick up trash as he walked along one morning. But the worst is when Jesus is requiring his own to ask people to forgive them for what they did or said or else the sweet fellowship they enjoy with Jesus will be diminished. Very humbling!
What stops him from reverting back to what he was?
The Holy Spirit and the desire to maintain friendship with God, “what fellowship has light with darkness?”

I’m convinced that most “desert times” are really the result of refusing to repent so God withdraws.
 
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Yes. I agree that God gives us SOME GLIMPSE.
But none of us can see things by God's way, through His way of thinking.
His thoughts are not out thoughts.
Get behind me satan, you are thinking as a man.
And more...
We have the mind of Christ….well, some of us do, apparently.
 
We get new members that state they can't keep the faith
and/or are in and out of Christianity.

What do they mean exactly?
How does a person keep the faith?

A person keeps the faith by continuing to walk in faith, and by continuing to grow in Christ, and abide in Him through His word.
How is one in and out of Christianity?
Are they lost, saved, lost, saved, etc?

A person enters into a lost state again when they walk away from Him, not longer seek to grow in Him, and no longer experience Him through the word or through His Presence.

For many, they can teeter on the edge of this, still believing in Him but not giving themselves to Him, and therefore feeling "lost" and undone. I personally don't believe a person is fully lost until they fully walk away, but then I also don't believe a person is fully saved until they enter fully into Him, and what happens is that too many waddle around, in and out of the kiddie pool, so they never truly know what it feels like to walk close to God and be fully assured of salvation.

So in such instances I would say that most such people are never really "saved" in the true sense of the word to begin with.

My take.

God bless,
- H
 
It seems likely that God Himself set all of this in motion on purpose.
Yes, he did do it on purpose.

20For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Romans 8:20-21

And he did it for the reason given.
 
For many, they can teeter on the edge of this, still believing in Him but not giving themselves to Him, and therefore feeling "lost" and undone. I personally don't believe a person is fully lost until they fully walk away, but then I also don't believe a person is fully saved until they enter fully into Him, and what happens is that too many waddle around, in and out of the kiddie pool, so they never truly know what it feels like to walk close to God and be fully assured of salvation.
It seems most Christians do not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

They have the 'water' part of 'water and Spirit' down pat, in all it's weaknesses and shortcomings, but have yet to experience the overflow and abundance of the Spirit.
 
It seems most Christians do not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

They have the 'water' part of 'water and Spirit' down pat, but have yet to experience the overflow and abundance of the Spirit.

That would be a manifestation of it, yes. They have not yet been truly and fully immersed in walking with the Lord.

That's not to say I consider the Baptism in the Spirit essential to salvation, but its absence is often part and parcel of a life not fully given over to Him. But He will have no desire to leave those whose hearts have been fully given to Him to go on without experiencing what it means to fully "abide in Him."
 
They have not yet been truly and fully immersed in walking with the Lord.
Or, they simply aren't purposely seeking it.

The church has suppressed this essential benefit of the New Covenant. Most just don't know about it.

That's not to say I consider the Baptism in the Spirit essential to salvation
It is not essential to salvation. But not living in the fullness of the promise of the Spirit will make a person defenseless against the doubts, fears, and anxieties of this life.
 
It is not essential to salvation. But not living in the fullness of the promise of the Spirit will make a person defenseless against the doubts, fears, and anxieties of this life.

Absolutely in agreement. Both gifts and manifestations were sent to confirm the word, and the gifts in particular via the intimacy of knowing God experientially, and not just in theoretical, philosophical or even theological terms (though the latter is at least a start in "knowing" Him in a partial sense).
 
That's not to say I consider the Baptism in the Spirit essential to salvation
I disagree. Maybe the reason is our definition of "baptism in the Spirit". I define it as to be "born again"/regenerated.

Assuming my definition to be correct, this is a proof text:
John 3:3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
 
It has come to my attention that there is a new religion out there called "The Universe". Amazingly, it solves many of the problems I have with Christianity. The Universe is visible, which is kind of a big deal. We can test it using the scientific method. There are many planets to choose from. If you're not happy with any of the planets, you can default to the sun like the uncreative misanthrope you are.

Like Christianity, it is not without it's heretictcs. There are those that believe Pluto is still a planet and viable for worship. But this is a false god, so don't be fooled into believing this nonsense. Lest you be accused of heresey.

The great evil in this religion is none other than moon. Curse him! Every night he appears in the sky, like a devil, he stares down at us. We pray to the other planets for their blessings and to keep the evil one at bay until morning, until the glory of the sun's rays shines bright upon the earth and the evil one flees in terror, vanishing from the sky for yet another day! Praise be to our redeemer, our life giver, the almighty sun. Praise be.
 
knowing God experientially, and not just in theoretical, philosophical or even theological terms (though the latter is at least a start in "knowing" Him in a partial sense).
I call that textbook Christianity. It's just knowing all the facts and stories of the faith, and, well, that's it. It's empty, powerless, and unsatisfying. But it can give a modicum of assurance that you'll go to be with Jesus when you die. It's most easily recognized by it's defense of sundry doctrines, rather than by the fruit of the Spirit (peace, joy, etc.). And why not since it's based on head knowledge about God, not on experiencing the manifest presence of God.
 
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